


Any Less of a Hero

by blossombabes



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series), Teen Titans - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Late Night Conversations, Light Angst, Nightmares, bbrae - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:00:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25700218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blossombabes/pseuds/blossombabes
Summary: *t.w for mentions/ brief descriptions of death, no graphic gore*After a mission doesn’t go as planned, Garfield Logan needs a little comfort, and one of his fellow titans is happy to oblige.tldr; Raven and Beast Boy comfort fluff
Relationships: Garfield Logan & Raven, Garfield Logan/Raven
Comments: 1
Kudos: 53





	Any Less of a Hero

Garfield Logan hadn't taken a shower like this since he left the Doom Patrol, probably because he hated it. 

Most nights, he blared his favorite albums so loudly that they flooded into the rest of the tower, being responsible for more than a few headaches. Steam fogged up the mirrors as almost scalding water slipped down his chest, and he couldn't erase a smile. He found solace in his showers, as dumb as it may have sounded. They were his safe space. 

But tonight, the shower's glass doors felt more like a cage. It was silent, aside from the steady stream of water spewing from the faucet. He hung his head in shame underneath the flow, letting frigid water slide off of his bangs and down the slope of his nose. He didn't deserve comfort tonight.

Being a hero was generally a pretty decent gig. Sure, you put yourself in danger a couple of times a week (if you're lucky), but other than that, you're good. Saving people with the Titans had given him a sense of purpose he had never felt with the doom patrol. It was fun, and driven by teenage heroes who did things for the good of humanity, not just themselves. He loved it.

But sometimes, things went wrong. And tonight had been one of those times. 

It was still fresh in his brain, flashing in his mind as if it was still happening. The team had been called in to take down Cinderblock, which was usually an easy mission. Cyborg had deemed him a "fifteen-minute bad guy". But tonight, he was packing a few more punches than usual.

Maybe they had gotten cocky, but they were straggling, and this only fueled him. "Titans, go!" Robin called before they put their "routine" together. It was going smoothly, until they all heard a new voice from behind them. "Whoa!"

A middle aged man stood in awe in the middle of the street. He had blue pajama pants; Garfield remembered this distinctly. "Move!" Robin shouted, but his attention was quickly drawn back to the monster at hand. 

The man stood still, eyes following the battle. Cinderblock lifted a car into his fist, and made a brief eye contact with the civilian. "Beast Boy, move him," Robin ordered, seeing that the changeling was the closest one.

The green teen morphed instantly into a horse, aiming to push the pedestrian out of the way. His hooves galloped across the concrete. Suddenly, it happened in slow motion. The car was released. It flew threw the air. Then, as if he was watching his worst nightmare come true, it hit its target. 

"No!" he screamed, turning into his human self and scrambling to the scene. The battle raged on, and Raven and Star were able to bring the villain down. But the victory was fuzzy background noise to Garfield. Desperately, he pushed the vehicle off of the victim, begging the whole time. 

When he saw how limply his limbs hung at his sides, he knew there was no saving him. That didn't stop him from trying. Desperately, he pressed his ear to his chest, listening for any heartbeat. He was met with silence. With tears flowing from his eyes, he tried CPR, but stopped as a metal hand rested on his shoulder. 

He looked up to Cyborg, seeing the somber expression on his friend's face. "I'm sorry," he said weakly, still holding the stranger in his lap. "It's not your fault, B," Cyborg assured as blue and red lights arrived on the scene. 

The next ten minutes went by in a blur of a body bag and police questioning that he can't remember. Soon, Cyborg was helping him to the T Car, but he decided to fly himself home. Taking the form of an eagle, he soared to the tower, alone, and headed immediately to the bathroom. 

He had replayed that scene over and over since he entered the bathroom, and that didn't change as he stepped out. His toes met the soft white bathmat with a quiet thud but he didn't hear it. He could only stare at his hardened expression in the mirror. 

A failure stared back at him. A disappointment. A murderer. 

He let an innocent person down, and he hated himself for it. After a few moments, he quickly dressed himself in his pajamas and turned once again towards the mirror. Before he knew what had happened, his fist pounded against his reflection. The glass didn't break underneath his hand, but he still felt it shake slightly. 

He whipped away for the second time and flung open the door. His heart almost jumped out of his chest as he collided with one of his fellow titans. "Raven!" he squeaked, still shocked from running into her. 

"Sorry," she deadpanned, shifting slightly from one foot to another. "Excuse me," he said in a low voice, feeling his sadness come back to his chest. "Hey," she whispered, drawing out the last letter slightly. Her hand came to gently rest on his shoulder. 

He paused and looked at her with puppy-dog eyes. "Are you okay?" she asked, though she knew the answer. "I'm fine," he said weakly, looking at his feet. "Really?" she asked disbelievingly. He shook his head limply before pulling his lips inward to stifle a sob. 

"C'mere," she said softly. She pulled him into her arms, letting one of her hands usher his head into shoulder gently. Without a word, she wrapped her cloak around him and teleported them to her room, where he began to cry into her suit. 

She began to shush him gently, letting her fingers comb through his damp hair. "Talk to me," she whispered by his ear. A tingle ran down his spine as her breath danced across his earlobe. He pulled away and sat on the edge of her bed, sniffling slightly. 

She joined him, waiting patiently for him to start. "I killed him, Rae," he mumbled, placing his forehead in his palms. "I could have saved him, and I didn't. I just can't stop seeing it," he admitted, whimpering the last word.

"You didn't kill him," she said in her usual monotone. "I did. I didn't run fast enough," he continued, watching her lips twitch downwards. "You can't blame yourself, Gar," she comforted. 

"But there's no one else to blame!" he cried, throwing his hands up. "Cinderblock is to blame," she corrected, not used to this intensity from her teammate. "I just wish I had stopped it," he said in a low tone. 

Raven's frown deepened as she placed her hand between his shoulder blades. "You can't save everyone," she reminded, quickly continuing after seeing the helpless look on his face. "But, that doesn't make you any less of a hero. You did your best, no matter how much you say you didn't. You are a hero, remember that."

He looked at her with glossy eyes, his bottom lip quivering slightly. "I'm sorry," he stammered. "Sorry? For what?" she asked in confusion. "Because my best wasn't enough," he explained before looking down at his lap. "Hey," she said, using her hand to gently turn his chin towards her. 

"Look at me," she pleaded. His shameful eyes met hers and he took in her saddened expression. Suddenly, two cold hands came to cup his face gently, thumbing away the tears that had dared to fall. "Your best is always enough. You are enough. Are you even aware of how many lives you've saved?" She asked rhetorically. "So many," she answered with a weak smile. 

"You may not see it, but everyone else does. You are wonderful," she concluded, maintaining their eye contact. Unaware of what else to do, he flung his arms around her neck and buried his face in the crook of her neck, sobbing into her warm skin. 

She shushed him quietly, letting her hands wander across his back. "It's okay," she whispered, subconsciously kissing his temple. They stayed like that for several minutes before Beast Boy pulled back, wiping his face with his gloved hand. 

"Thank you, Raven," he sniffled, glancing at the wet spots on her uniform from his tears. She smiled softly, manifesting a box of tissues to appear in front of them. He plucked one from the box and dried his face, his back turned as he did so. She looked towards her purple rug in an attempt to give him privacy. 

He sighed before looking at the girl who was still avoiding his gaze. With a sudden burst of confidence, he leaned over until his head hit her thighs. Her sudden gasp hit his ears as he situated himself until he was effectively using her lap as a pillow. 

"Gar," she muttered as he rolled over to look up at her. She was met with silence as he stared contently up at her. Soon, his lips curved up into a smile, which widened as he watched hers do the same. 

It was funny how fast she had mended his broken heart. All she had to was pull him into her chest, and an hour later, he had a grin on his face. Of course, he knew he would be haunted by the blue pajama pants for the rest of his life, but right now he felt free from them. 

Now all he could think about was the feeling of her soft grey flesh beneath his head and her amethyst eyes scanning his form carefully, protectively. His eyes flicked over her pale lips, but he quickly brought them back to her eyes; that's where she would want him to look. 

Before he could stop himself, his gloved hand rose to touch her cheek gingerly. His pinkie rested below the edge of her jaw and his thumb trailed over the corner of her mouth. Her lips turned up as he did so, which he took as an invitation. His hand traveled up her face and weaved itself in her hair, giving her scalp a gentle massage. 

After a moment of this, her eyes fluttered shut and she bit her bottom lip to stifle a satisfied moan. He watched her face intently, noticing every twitch and change. It made his chest flutter, seeing her so pleased by such simple displays of affection. 

If there was any time to take this risk, it was now. He propped himself up slightly and began slowly leaning into her. He was surprised when she did the same, stopping just short of making their noses touch. "Are you sure?" she asked in a low rasp, looking between his eyes and his lips. He managed a nod before connecting their lips in a soft kiss. 

It was slow, but admittedly sloppy, as it was both of their firsts. Her hand came to rest on his cheek, reassuring him. The kiss lasted but a few seconds, but it felt longer to the pair. She pulled back first, smiling softly at Garfield. He sighed before resting his forehead against hers. 

"Rae?" "Yeah?" "Can we do that again?" He swore she giggled before leaning in and giving him another kiss, this one longer and more smooth. Again, they parted, and he leaned back down to her lap. He turned over on his side and pressed his face to her stomach before wrapping his arms around her waist. 

A smile formed on Raven's lips as she ran her fingers through his hair yet again, relishing in the subtle comfort such an innocent gesture brought. "Gar?" she practically sang. 

He rolled over to face her, his cheeks dusted with a rose blush. "Do you want to sleep in here tonight?" she asked. He nodded before crawling into her bed. She followed suit, unclasping her cape and tossing it into the corner. She lay to the left of the changeling and opened her arms, letting him snuggle up to her form.

One arm laid under his neck and the other around his rib cage, holding him just tight enough that he could feel it. With her powers, she pulled her black and purple blankets around them and flickered our her candles, chanting her signature catchphrase under her breath as she did so. 

Garfield's head rested under her chin, his soft hair rubbing against her face. He turned slightly to peck the space between her neck and her jaw, peppering kisses all across her skin. "Goodnight," he said groggily, snaking his arms around her waist. 

"Goodnight," she replied, still allowing her fingers to draw patterns against his back. After a few minutes, his breathing evened out into quiet snores. She smiled at the sleeping boy in her arms and closed her eyes. 

"Azarath, metrion, zinthos,"she whispered before absorbing his residing feelings of pain. She knew she couldn't protect him from these forever, but she would be damned if he was going to have anything but a good night's sleep tonight. Soon, she fell asleep as well, letting quiet snores lull her to join him dream land.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Drop a kudos if you enjoyed and I’d love to hear your comments as well :)


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